Petrobras makes a discovery in fifth well in Santos Basin pre-salt Iara area

Petrobras makes a discovery in fifth well in Santos Basin pre-salt Iara area

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Petrobras said it has completed drilling the fifth exploratory well in the Santos Basin pre-salt Iara area, block BM-S-11. Well 3-RJS-715D (3-BRSA-1181D-RJS), informally known as Iara Alto Ângulo ('Iara steep angle'), is located 225 km off the Rio de Janeiro coast, at a water depth of 2,128 m.

This well was drilled in the central area of the concession's Discovery Evaluation Plan, some 4 km to the north of discovery well 1-RJS-656 (1-BRSA-618), informally known as Iara. The well was designed and executed with a sub-horizontal geometry and reached the total depth of 6,672m, after drilling 900 m of carbonate rock below the salt layer. A 310-m hydrocarbon column was identified.

The reservoirs feature characteristics that are similar to those found in discovery well (1-RJS-656, Iara), which was drilled vertically, and where good quality oil was identified. Given the geometry used in the well, a formation test will be conducted at the location to evaluate the productivity of the reservoirs.

The consortium will proceed with the activities outlined in the Discovery Evaluation Plan approved by Brazil's National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP). Petrobras is the operator of the consortium (65%) in partnership with BG E&P (25%) and Petrogal (10%).